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rrrca FREDERICK A. WOOD, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

HAT HOLDER.

ESPECIEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 3&4555, dated June 29,1886.

Application filed February 12, 1686. Serial No. 191,744.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. WooD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHat-Holders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figuresof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and effectualcontrivauce whereby a hat may be securely held and at the same time becapable of easy disengagement. It is intended to be fastened upon awall, pew-seat, hat-rack, car-seat, opera-chair, or in any convenientplace.

In the drawings, similar letters refer to similar parts in all theviews.

Figure l is a perspective view showing the holder fastened against awall and holding a hat. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the holderattached to an operachair, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of thesame.

The body A of the holder is made of sheetbrass or other suitablematerial, and is pro vided near its upper end with a hole, through whichpasses a screw or other fastening device. Near its free end the holderis bent, as shown, to form the corrugation B, which is substantiallysemicircular in cross-section. Below the corrugation there may be a lip,O, which stands out at an angle to the plane of the body A. W'hen thewired rim of a hat, D, is pushed up under the lip C, the holder yieldsoutwardly and allows the hat-rim to enter until the wire comes under thecorrugation B, when the holder springs back to place again and the hatis secured.

In order to resist any tendency to twist sidewise when the hat is shovedagainst the lip O, the holder may be secured by two screws; or one ormore V-shaped prongs may be punched from the body A, as indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 2, which will enter the object to which the holderis attached and retain it in position.

It will be observed that not only does this holder act to some extent byfriction, in that it clamps the hat against the wall or chair- (Nomodel.)

back E, but the weight of the hat is principally supported by theshoulder 1), formed by the lower side of the corrugation B, which hooksunder the wired hat-rim, and is capable of resisting a considerabledownward strain. The holder may therefore be made of comparatively lightand cheap material, since not so stiif a spring is necessary as in thecase of holders which depend solely upon friction.

As will be seen by reference to the drawings, the lip 0 stands out atsuch an angle that no part of the holder comes in contact with the flatportion of the brim of the hat, while the corrugation l3 snuglyencircles the wire in the rim, and not only supports the hat fromfalling, but prevents it from any accidental upward movement. This is adecided advantage, since it obviates alldanger of marring the surface ofthe hat-brim by sliding it about under the holder-a circumstance whichis liable to happen with all the hat-holders of which I have any knowledge, especially those in which the end of a strong spring pressesdirectly against the surface of the brim. The hat may be released bygiving it a smart pull or by swinging it out away from the object towhich the holder is fastened.

The entire device may be readily stamped out at one blow by suitabledies, and may be varied somewhat in shape to accommodate thecircumstances under which it is to be used or the fancy of purchasers.

I am aware that a hatholder has been patented consisting of a sheetmetaltapering spring secured at its upper end to a flat plate, and curvingoutward, downward, and inward, so as to bring its lower end againstapiece of rubber secured in a depression made in the flat plate, andthis I do not claim; but

WVhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A hat-holder consisting of a spring-metal clip having near its lower enda lip, O, and a corrugation, B, the i'nnerlower wall of which forms asubstantially square shoulder, b, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK A. \VOOD.

Witnesses:

JAMES KELLEY, IVILLIAM Cox.

